Kathmandu [Nepal], September 17 – The government has proposed extending paid maternity leave to six months and paternity leave to 42 days under an amendment to the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights Act, 2018.
Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sobita Gautam said the proposed changes aim to encourage greater participation of both parents in childcare and family care.
Under the existing law, mothers are entitled to 98 days of paid maternity leave while fathers receive 15 days of paid leave. The proposed amendment seeks to provide mothers with at least six months of paid leave before or after childbirth and fathers with up to 42 days of paid parental care leave.
Gautam said motherhood and fatherhood are special periods and that raising a child should not be considered solely the mother’s responsibility.
The proposed Bill seeks to amend Section 13 of the existing Act and create a legal framework that gives parents more time to care for newborns.
The Ministry of Health and Food Security said the amendment also seeks to ensure respectful maternity care, require skilled health workers or trained birth attendants at maternity facilities and introduce measures to prevent physical and psychological violence against pregnant and postpartum women.
Draft amendments have been sent to the Ministry of Law for the legal process.
